Jack.



L. 0. BERMAN.

JACK.

APPLICATION FILED 213.24, 191s. I

1,100,344* Patented June 16, 1914.

, umn/-E I Wwf/5666.' Z0 g5 laws ermm@ tmrTED sTATns PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS C. BERMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

JACK.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, Louis C. BERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Jacks, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to a device for lifting or stretching, and may be employed both as a jack or as a wire stretcher, and the like.

rl`he principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improved device of the. class described, which is simple and strong in construction, and effective and eiiicient in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ack of this class in which the elevating or runner members may be released from engagement with the support therefor when only a limited movement of the operating handle is permitted.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for varying the position of the gripping device for one of the members. j

F or the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects, as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts generally shown in the accompanying drawing and described in the specification, but more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of a` jack with parts shown in section and constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention; Fig. 2 is a detailed view of the operating mechanism of the jack showing the latch in position to release both of the runner members from the support; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the latch member.

When a jack of this class is being operated either for lifting purposes or as a wire stretcher, it is frequently desirable to release the runner member from gripping engage ment with'the jack support when the movement of the handle is limited. This may happen, for example, when a projecting part limits the rotation of the handle in an upward direction so that the two runner members cannot be contacted wit-h each other to release them. For this purpose, a releasing device is provided which is adapted to en gage the lowermost runner member of the Speccaton of Letters Patent.'

Application filed February 24, 1913.

Patented June 16, 1914. serial No. 750,051.

jack so that a slight upward movementvof the handle will be suiiicient to cause the uppermost member to engage the other member with the latch and release them both from gripping engagement with the support.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, a pair of runner members 8 and 9 are provided with bores substantiallyv conforming to the outer cross sectional area of a support 10, which is preferably tubular in form and rectangular in shape. The runner member 9 is provided with a ledge 11 extend ing on one side thereof, and a link 12 is pivotally connected upon the other side of the support and has an arm 13 projecting therefrom between which arm and a iiXed portion of the runner member a spring 14 is interposed which tends to press the upper end of the link toward the support. The upper runner member 8 is provided with a j aweshaped extension 15 to which an operating handle 16 is pivotally connected by means of a fastening device 17. Concentric with the opening for the fastening device 17 is a segmental circular slot 18 into which a lateral projection 19 from the handle 16 extends. The runner member 8 is preferable of sectional or hollow construction so that the link 12 may extend upwardly through a slot between the two side members and is pivotally connected to the projection 19 of the handle member so that the movement of the handle member will be communicated t0 the link.

In order to grip the runner member 9 with the support it is provided with a recess 2O on the opposite side from the link 12 and adjacent the support 10, and in this recess a toothed gripping member 21 is disposed. The other runner member 8 is also provided with a gripping device comprising a member 22 having an inclined or beveled rear surface 23 and a recess 24 in its opposite face adapted to receive another toothed gripping member 21. The lower extremity of the member 22 is connected by means of a pivot pin 26 with a latch 25 having a bifurcated extremity, the ends, 27, of the bifurcated eX- tremities being beveled and disposed at a greater distance from the axis of the pivot pin, or from the pivot pin openings 26 than the adjacent sides are from these openings. This gripping device is disposed in a space formed in the housing of the runner member 8 which has an inclined surface 28 to cooperate with the beveled surface 23 of the member 22 whereby the gripping member 21 may be moved to engage the toothed. gripping member 21 with the support 10. A spring 29 is interposed between a fixed ledge 30 and the member 22 which tends to press it normallyl into a gripping position. The function of the latch 25 is to move this gripping device into and out of engaging position, and for this purpose the runner member 8 is formed with a housing member 31v through which the extremity of the latch 25 extends, the housingl portion being provided en the inside with a ledge 32 upon whichthe sides and' ends 27 of the bifurcated extremity of the latch engage so that by rotating the outwardly extending end of the latchV the grip-ping member 22 can be moved any of three different positions as indicated cl'early in Figs. 1 and 2. 7h en the latch is iiitl'ieuppermost position as shown by Fig. 1 the gripping device is inlposition to engage theA support; in this position the sides of the biturcated extremities are in contact with the ledges 32. in the next lower position as indicated in Fig.v 2 by the dotted outline 25 the gripping member 22 is slightly moved from engaging position and the ruimer member 8 may be-slidV freely up and down along the support 1()v without engagement therewith; in this position the ledges 32 are engaged by one ot the beveled sides of the bifurcated extremity.V 1n. the lowermost position as shown more clearly by Fig. 2 the latch is adapted to engage the lower member 9) when the runner members are moved toward' eachother; iiithis posit/ion the gripping member 22 is drawn entirely out ci engaging position and the latch 25 is held in position by the other beveled sides of the bifurcated extremity in contact with the ledges 3 2.

In operation the handle member 11,6 is rotated to and fro about its point of pivotal support and the gripping actions of the runnerfmembers are alternating so that the lo-ad may be lifted by short or long strokes of the handle as desired. The relation of the runner members to each other is such that whenthe handle 16 is raised to a suiiicient height', a position as shown in Fig. 1, the lowermost portion ofl the upper member 8 is adapted to engage the uppermost portion ot the lower member 9 so that ii there is nothing to prevent the rotation ot the handle in an upwardly direction the upper member 8 will engage the lower member 9and by con- Vtact therewith will release them bothY from engagement with the support 10. This is the common method of releasing a device when there is no obstruct-ion to the upward movement of the handle.

When only a limited upward movement of: the handleis permitted, as indicated in Fi 2,it is impossible for the upper member to e moved in engagement with the lower member to release them both, so the latch 25 is made adjustable into a downward position as shown in Fig. 2 to engage thc lower member, under these circumstances, whereupon both members may be released from engagelment with the support 10.

A. foot or base member 33 is provided for the jack, having a hook or staple puller 3i at one end, a hammer head 35 at the other end,

and a handle 36, which is adapted to be iiiserted within the tubular support 10. A thumb spring device 37 is secu-red to the toot 33 and adapted to engage a suitable opening or depression in the end of the tubular support l() to hold the toot 33 in position.

A wire stretching member 3S, adapted to be secured to the support, is provided with an extending aw portion 39, which coperates with the jaw 15 of the member 8. This member 38 is commonly secured to the support by means of' an opening 40, as shown in the other end thereof.

n order to use the jack as a wire stretcher or puller, the upper runner member and the wire stretehiiignicmber3S a-re provided with pivotally mounted levers tl, having toothed cam surfaces 2, which are adapted to cooperate with grooved or toothed ledges L13 and 441.

What I claim is:

1. A jack comprising a. hollow support angular in cross-section, a pair of runner members having bores conforming to the coiiguration of the support and slid-able thereon, means in connection with each runner member for gripping the support7 a link connection between the ruimer members, an operating handle for moving the runner members on the support, and means iii connection with one of the runner members for varying the gripping means thereof and for engaging the other runner member to rclease the said other member from gripping position.

2. The combination with a support having a rectangular cross-Section, of' runner members with a bore conforming to the conguration thereof", gripping members in connection with each of said runner members, a variable latch for moving one of the gripping members and for engaging the other runner member, and a4 link connecting the runner members, an operating handle for moving the runner members on the support and effective torelease both runner members when the said latch is moved into position to engage the other runner member.

3. A jack comprising a support, a pair of members mounted to slide upon the support,

means in connection with each member to tion to a position to engage the other member, a link pivotally connected to the lowermost member, an operating handle connected with the other end of the link and pivotally connected to the uppermost member and adapted to move the said members successively into and out of engagement with the support.

4c. A jack comprising a support, a pair of runner members mounted to slide thereupon, a link pivotally connected at one end to the lowermost support, an operating handle pivotally connected at one end to the other support and connected to the link at its other end, gripping members 1n connection with each of said runner members, a latch for moving the gripping member of the uppermost runner member into and out of gripping position, said latch being also disposed when the gripping member is drawn out of gripping posit-ion into the path of movement of the other runner member to be engaged thereby when the movement of the handle is restricted.

5. A jack of the class described comprising a support rectangular in cross-section, a pair of runner members slidable thereon, a link pivotally connected to one of the members, a hand lever connected to the other member, a circular slot concentric with the axis of said handle, a pin connected to said handle member disposed in the slot and adapted to engage the other end of the length, gripping devices in connection with said members, one of said gripping devices comprising a member movable into and out of gripping position, and a latch for moving and holding the Said member in three positions, one of which is the Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents engaging position, another of which is a non-engaging position, and a, second nonengaging position in which the latch is brought into engagement with the other runner member during the upward movement of the handle, when the upward movement of the handle is restricted.

6. A jack comprising a support, an upper and a lower runner member mounted to slide upon the support, a link pivotally connected at one end to one of the runner members, a handle pivotally connected to the upper member, means connecting the handle with the other end of the link, gripping devices in connection with both of the members whereby the members are adapted to alternately grip the support during the movement of the handle, the movement of the handle in one direction to a predetermined point being eective to contact the upper member with the lower member to release them both from gripping engagement with the support, and means in connection with the gripping member of the upper runner member whereby the gripping device for the upper member is withdrawn J from engagement with the support and the lower member is engaged to release the members from gripping engagement with the support when the movement of the handle is limited in the aforesaid direction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 12th day of February A. D. 1913.

LOUIS C. BERMAN.

Witnesses:

ALLENA OFFUTT, K. W. WONNELL.

each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente,

Washington, D. C. 

